Stubborn
by Sailor Star Dust 1
Summary: Just your standard "sick with a cold" fic. Patriots era BBEva!


**Stubborn**

SailorStarDust1

I've written shippy fics each for BBKaz, Bosselot and BB/Boss (Metal Gear Saga Vol 1 & Vol 2 Full Documentary (up on Youtube) is where Kojima mentioned The Boss and Jack were lovers—fits their multifaceted and complex relationship perfectly, I think.), but nothing for BBEva proper yet! Hope I corrected this horrible mistake. It'd be fun to write Meryl/Snake someday (maybe even try Hal/David) but I'm just too into mah Boss and his relationships.

Writers block unexpectedly dropping in made this one difficult, but I did my best! This one's dedicated to a BBEva friend of mine (you know who you are~)

* * *

With a heavy eyelid and an aching body full of chills, John hated the only conclusion he came to, shivering in his heavy blanket covered bed: He had caught a cold.

This situation especially sucked when he was supposed to head out for a mission that sunny Fall day in 1971. Irony being what it was, even Adam had returned "home" to their mansion, taking a short vacation from his work in Russia.

Groaning, Snake recognized two voices seemingly floating into his bedroom, too exhausted to open his good eye.

"Hey, Snake, you gonna be alright, man?"

"Snake? It may sound a bit unorthodox, but suppositories can help..."

Eyeing the tiny bag of...whatever...Clark held, the legendary warrior paled. "I think I'll be fine.", he managed to offer.

"Told ya he wouldn't be interested!" Sigint playfully nudged Para-Medic in the ribs, who merely scoffed.

"I'll just leave these by your nightstand.", she calmly offered, although something about her concern...It seemed to go beyond Big Boss's well-being. How strange.

John simply mumbled an affirmative, nestled deeply within the comfort of his blankets. He heard their seemingly far away yet kind farewells, before he fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

She was there—smiling—at him, in a field of white flowers. He swallowed as his lone eye tentatively met hers. Jack then reached out for her hand with his own that trembled...

Something heavy, almost oppressively so, caused that lone eye to open.

She was gone, but those same eyes remained. Blinking twice, vision focusing, John realized he was staring at the son of The Boss.

"Ah.", Adam's cheeks seemed to flush. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"What's with all this?", he slowly gestured towards several blankets against his lap.

"I heard you were sick, so..."

Everyone's concern for Snake was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. "I'll be fine, junior." A pause. "Thank you." His eye meeting those gray familiar ones...In his heart, John hoped his deepening friendship with Adam would exceed ten years. due to their natural liking of one another. Given Snake's long gone soulmate, Adam's presence was a quiet comfort in times of distress.

"Of course!" Adam was smirking in that smug manner he was wont to do—perhaps that bratty charade of his during the triple-crossing days still carried a hint of truth to it.

"Tell Zero to not drink all my soup if you guys make some." While sniffling, John managed a hoarse laugh. Attempts at sitting upright were out of the question despite his shoulders poking out from his blankets. At least he was nice and especially cozy with the extra ones Ocelot brought along.

"Heh, will do. You just focus on getting better." He kept plenty of physical space between them, although Ocelot wished this were any other occasion where he could close the distance. Friendly-like, although the older man's obliviousness just made him all the more charming, in Adam's mind.

Firing off a lazy finger gun, Ocelot nodded goodbye as he left. Cooking everyone a huge pot of chicken noddle soup for dinner sounded good. His John was a man of action, he had to get well when just sitting around—essentially relaxing—wasn't his style.

* * *

Boredom sunk in after a good ten minutes of silence within the still room, John's mind naturally wandering. Certainly this setup within The Patriots was cozy, although Jack was never really a man of the finer things like Zero was. The modest apartment he and Joy had shared not far from Washington, DC in his early 20's was all he needed.

As such, Jack sometimes wondered if there was more to this generally comfortable life despite his near-daily missions of prisoner extractions or business talks (the severity of either dependent on the location Snake found himself in).

A familiar blonde head poked out from his suddenly open bedroom door, Snake's abrupt smile already widening.

"Are you getting plenty of rest?" She flashed a matching smile of her own while checking John's forehead with the back of her hand. He was still very warm, she noted, while taking a seat at the edge of his bed, her hands resting in her lap.

"If I had a minute alone, maybe so." He was teasing while all Eva could do was roll her eyes.

"Maybe if you weren't so stubborn because you refused to wear a jacket for our date the other night, you wouldn't be in this mess?" An all-too cheerful "I told you so" expression against her fair features.

As his arms crossed, Snake's sheepish gaze met the carpet. He'd rather not recall his personal insistence on sleeping naked despite that chilly evening probably making matters worse! At least dinner that night was excellent, with especially pleasant company.

A cough. "I wonder if Adam kicked Zero's chefs out of the kitchen?" Not like he was dodging his girlfriend's comment...

Eva's warm hand cupped Snake's cheek, their foreheads lightly bumping. Snake swallowed despite a suddenly dry mouth, curious what he did to deserve this woman to be a part of his life once more. Ever since her rescue from Hanoi and the formation of The Patriots, the reunited couple were pratically inseparable in their down time.

Slowly stroking Snake's beard as his gentle eye grew warm, Eva knew deep down that she could never replace that incredible woman within Snake's heart.

Despite occasional—frankly petty—jealousy, all she could do was carve her own place within. And that was fine by her; staying by his side, ensuring mutual goals of _her_ dream were fulfilled...

All of them together, as The Patriots, their organization being the perfect means of uniting humanity as one under The Boss's will.

"I appreciate you checking in, but don't get sick on my account, hm?"

His still warm voice broke Eva out of her thoughts. They were so close in their embrace. "What's a little cold if it's ensuring my favorite big baby gets well?"

"I am _not_ a baby." John sniffled, slightly perturbed, while replying. "I just want to know when our soup's on so I can lay down for a nap."

Eva's free hand pressed against her lips to prevent herself from bursting into laughter. It seemed like she was in for one amusing night.


End file.
